Light fixtures typically include one or more light sources (e.g., light bulbs, LEDs, etc.) that emit light which is reflected, distributed, diffused, or otherwise directed in one or more directions through and out of a light fixture (e.g., a lamp, sconce, pendant, chandelier, etc.). In some instances, a light fixture may include one or more diffusing elements, such as lampshades, lenses, diffusers and/or other elements that are transparent or translucent. Such diffusing elements may serve to soften and distribute light in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Traditionally, light fixtures have been illuminated using incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. Beneficially, such typical light sources emit light with substantially even brightness in all directions, such that diffusing elements appear to be substantially evenly lit. For example, an incandescent bulb may emit light omnidirectionally, such that a cylindrical lampshade surrounding the light bulb may appear to be more or less evenly lit. Likewise, an elongated light fixture may appear evenly lit by one or more long fluorescent bulbs, which span substantially across the length of the light fixture.
As energy efficiency is becoming increasingly prioritized, it has become desirable to replace traditional light bulbs with lower power alternatives, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs advantageously convert electric currents into light, with substantially less energy being expended in the form of heat, as compared to traditional alternatives. However, LEDs pose a few potential aesthetic drawbacks compared to traditional light sources. For example, LEDs typically emit light directionally within some angle of emission, which is often narrower and more directional than with incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. In addition, LEDs are often small in size, such that illuminating an entire light fixture requires a series of LEDs laid out in an array. Because of these aesthetic challenges, light fixtures may include design elements, diffusers, and/or other structures included therewithin to diffuse and distribute light throughout the light fixture—such that an observer may not easily perceive that the light fixture is illuminated by a series of small, directionally-narrow LEDs.
In some circumstances, it may be infeasible for a light fixture to include the same density of LEDs across its entire length. For example, a power cord, suspension cable, joiner bracket and/or other hardware may be positioned along the path of the LEDs, such that the LEDs are interrupted or otherwise do not continue to the ends of the light fixture. As a result, a lens or diffuser positioned about the LEDs may appear to have non-uniform brightness, with regions directly proximate to the LEDs appearing brighter than regions not immediately proximate to the LEDs. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide assemblies and apparatuses for distributing light from one or more light sources toward one or more otherwise dim regions of a light fixture to, in turn, produce more even illumination throughout the light fixture for a brighter and/or more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed written description, drawing figures, and claims.